China limits how it defines Covid deaths in official count

China has always been conservative in how it counts illnesses, whether from the flu or Covid-19. In most countries, including the United States, guidelines stipulate that any death where Covid-19 is a factor or contributor is counted as a Covid-19-related death. Deaths that occur in patients with pre-existing illnesses are not counted as Covid-19 deaths, said Wang Guiqiang, the head of infectious disease at Peking University's No. 1 Hospital.